Lighter with gravity oriented safety



Dec. 15, 1970 B. J. TAMARIN 3,547,565

LIGHTER WITH GRAVITY ORIENTED SAFETY Filed May 12 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet 1Dec. 15, 1970 a. J. TAMARIN LIGHTER WITH GRAVITY ORIENTED SAFETY 5Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 12, 1969 Dec. 15, 1970 a. J. TA MARIN LIGHTERWITH GRAVITY ORIENTED SAFETY 5 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed May 12, 1969 mmwrm.5561/4/99 J MIVAIV/A/ f7 Wak United States Patent 3,547,566 LIGHTER WITHGRAVITY ORIENTED SAFETY Bernard J. Tamariu, Philadelphia, Pa., assignorof onethird to Charles A. McClure, Malvern, Pa., and onethird to MorrisCutler, Philadelphia, Pa. Continuation-impart of application Ser. No.604,981, Dec. 27, 1966. This application May 12, 1969, Ser. No. 823,827

Int. Cl. F23n /24 U.S. Cl. 431-88 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLGSURE Aportable lighter is provided with safety means to render lighting morediflicult or even impossible when the lighter is inverted instead ofupright. The safety means includes an object subject to gravity-inducedchange in location along a path of constraint between positions in whichthe actuating trigger for the spark means and/or fuel valve means isfree to operate and alternatively is hindered partially or entirely fromoperating.

This is a continuation-in-part of my copending patent application forLighter with Gravity Oriented Safety Mechanism, Serial No. 604,981 filedDec. 27, 1966 and now Patent No. 3,450,143.

This invention relates to a hand-held lighter for cigarettes, cigars,pipes or the like, especially such a lighter provided with safety meansto preclude lighting thereof in an inverted position or to render suchlighting noticeably more difficult than when the lighter is upright.

Hand-held lighters have various types of triggers, usually pivoted atone end and leaving the other end manually depressible, as by theholders thumb. Such triggers usually are located along an edge, often anarrow side edge, of such lighters. The depressible end of such atrigger, although preferably located nearer the top than the bottom ofthe lighter, may be depressed from its rest position with the lighterinverted as well as when upright. Lighting when it is inverted presentsan obvious risk of burning the holders hand or clothing and possiblyfurther damage or injury, representing an intolerable safety hazard.

A primary object of the present invention is provision of a hand-heldlighter that is notiecably more difficult to light when it is in aninverted position than when it is upright.

Another object is provision of such a lighter that is impossible tolight when it is in an inverted position but that will remain lighted inan inverted position if lit before being inverted.

A further object is provision of such a safety lighter in which thesafety feature can be defeated intentionally in advance of an attempt tolight it if the user so desires.

Other objects of the present invention, together with means and methodsfor attaining the various objects, will be apparent from the followingdescription and the accompanying diagrams.

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a hand-held lighter lit in an uprightposition and, in phantom, inverted as to light a pipe;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of a hand-held lighter lit in an invertedposition;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a conventional lighterin upright position;

FIG. 4 is a plan, on a reduced scale, of such lighter with the toppivoted aside;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation, partly in section, and otherwise sirnilar tothat of FIG. 3 but with the trigger depressed; and

FIG. 6 is a side elevation, on an enlarged scale and partly in section,of valve mechanism of the same lighter.

FIG. 7 is a side elevation, partly in section and otherwise similar toFIG. 5, of a first embodiment of lighter according to this inventionshown upright and with the trigger depressed from its rest position;

FIG. 8 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the lighter of FIG. 7in an inverted postion with the trigger in its undepressed restposition;

FIG. 9 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a second embodiment oflighter according to this invention, shown in an upright position andwith the trigger in its undepressed rest position;

FIG. 10 is a side elevation of the lighter of FIG. 9 in an invertedposition and with the trigger still undepressed;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary side elevation of the lighter of FIGS. 9 and 10in an inverted position and with the trigger depressed from its restposition;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary side elevation of a third embodiment of lighteraccording to this invention, shown in an inverted position and with thetrigger in its undepressed rest position;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary side elevation of the lighter of FIG. 12 butwith the trigger depressed from its rest position, as it appears wheninverted after depression thereof;

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary side elevation of an alternative modificationof the first embodiment including lockout means for defeating the safetyfeature thereof; and

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary front elevation corresponding to the sideelevation of FIG. 14.

In general, the objects of the present invention are accomplished, in ahand-held lighter, by providing the spark-actuating and/or fuelvalve-actuating trigger thereof with gravity-actuated safety meansengaging both the lighter body and the trigger when the lighter is inthe inverted position so as to hinder the user partially or entirelyfrom depressing the trigger from its rest position to actuate the sparkmeans and/or valve means in that position of the lighter, the safetymeans being disengaged in the upright position of the lighter so as topermit the trigger to be depressed freely from its rest position.

FIG. 1 shows conventional lighter 10 held by hand with trigger 11depressed by the holders thumb to produce flame 12 at the top thereof.Shown in phantom in the same view is the lighter tipped to an invertedposition, as to light a pipe (shown fragmentarily in phantom). FIG. 2shows the same lighter lighted in an inverted position, as might occurif the user should fail to ascertain the orientation of the lighterbefore depressing the trigger. The likely resultant hand injury isobvious.

FIG. 3 shows lighter 10 in side elevation and partly sectioned away toshow the interior at a level below windscreen 13, which is pivotallymounted at the top of the lighter. Trigger 11, which is pivotallymounted (at a concealed location) near the base of the lighter is shownin undepressed or rest position, with its exterior surface flush withthat of abutting portion 31 of the lighter body. Projecting upward fromthe top interior end of the trigger is detent 21, which engages a slotin cam wheel 22 (shown partly cut away) mounted for rotation on verticalaxle 23 (also partly cut away). At the left, cam surface 24 of the camwheel engages strip-like valve lifter 30. Mounted for rotation aboutaxle 23 is serrated striking wheel 26, which engages cylindrical flint27 extending from the left. The striking wheel is not aflixed to theaxle but is keyed by key 36 on plate 37 afiixed to the striking wheeland resting between pair of ears 32 upstanding from the peripheral edgeof cam wheel 22, whereupon the striking wheel may be removed readily forreplacement at the top of the lighter.

FIG. 4 shows lighter from the top, with windscreen 13, which is retainedpivotally by screw 34, pivoted aside as for replacement of flint 27,seen in channel 28, and abutting serrated striking wheel 26. Pair ofspare flints are visible in suitable recesses at the right of the top.Recess 33, which accommodates the head of screw 34 in the top of thewindscreen, has aperture 39' therethrough to let the flame through whenthe windscreen is in place over the top of the lighter body, in whichposition the flame aperture is located directly over apertured valve-jetcap 40 affixed to strip-like valve lifter 30. When trigger 11 isdepressed, as shown in FIG. 5, which shows the valve lifter raised atits end engaging cam surface 24 of cam wheel 22, the fuel valve isopened accordingly.

FIG. 6 shows, in side elevation and partly in section, the fuel valvemeans and closely related parts. Underlying centrally aperturedvalve-jet cap 40 and attached strip-like valve lifter 30 isjet-retaining means comprising serrated intermediate surface 41 and,thereunder, threaded lower end 43 screwed into the top of fixed tankhousing 44. Underlying that lower end and about upper stem 51 of valvejet is compression spring 49, which bears at its lower end against jetcollar 53, thereby biasing the valve jet in the downward direction. Theupper stem of the jet extends upward through the aforementioned elements(where it is shown in broken lines) and terminates within the aperturedcap. Lower stem 52 of the valve jet extends downward into cup 54, whichhas top flange 55 underlying jet collar 53 and resting on resilientO-ring 57 on the top edge of inlet 58 to fuel tank 56. The cup hasaperture 59 through the center of its base portion, which is closed offby the bottom of the lower stern in the illustrated position. Jet bore60 extends axially from the top of upper stem 51, in line with aperture49 in cap 40 to intersection with transverse bore 62 near the bottom oflower stem 52. Inlet baflle plate 68 terminates the cylindrical inlet tothe fuel tank inside, with passages 66 therebetween for flow of fueltherethrough.

It will be apparent that depression of trigger 11 from its rest positionpivots cam wheel 22 by means of detent 21, thereby raising strip-likevalve lifter 30, which raises attached cap 40, thereby permitting valvejet 50 to rise, whereupon fuel issues through aperture 59 in the cup andpasses into transverse bore 62 and then axial bore 60 in the valve jet.The fuel issues through aperture 41 in cap 40, where it begins to burn.Rotation of the cam wheel also rotates adjacent striking wheel 26, bymeans of key 36, against flint 27, thereby striking sparks to light thefuel as it begins to issue. It will be understood that the fuel issuesin gaseous form, although it may be stored in the fuel tank undersufficient pressure to keep it liquid until released. Examples ofsuitable fuels are propane and butane.

Normally lighter 10 will light in an inverted position as well as in anupright position. According to this invention, however, as shown insubsequent views, similar lighters 10, 10, and 10" are modifiedaccording to this invention to eliminate that undesirablecharacteristic. Modified parts corresponding to those of lighter 10 aredesignated by corresponding numbers with primes added (not necessarilythe same as the primes designating the lighter embodiments themselves),with or without separate mention in the description.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show that first such lighter 10' differs from conventionallighter 10 by having long and short longitudinal bores 74 and 73 intrigger 11' and fixed abutting portion 31 of the lighter body,respectively, which are shown with slightly exaggerated spacing from oneanother to accommodate lead lines and/or reference numerals in theinterest of clarity. The respective bores are aligned in the undepressedor rest position of the trigger. Short bore 73 has ramp inclined fromthe base of the bore toward the lighter interior. Pin 71, which hasrounded top end 72, rests entirely with long body 74 in the trigger whenthe lighter is in an upright position,

4 whether undepressed or depressed, as shown in elevation in FIG. 7.

When lighter 10 is inverted with the trigger undepressed, as shown inelevation in FIG. 8, the pin slides under the influence of gravitypartway out of long bore 74 in the trigger and into shorter bore 73 inthe fixed abutting portion of the lighter body. In order for the user todepress the trigger in that inverted position the pin must be forced outof the short bore and back into the long bore by contact of its head 72with ramp 75. Of course, unless the trigger can be depressed, no fuelcan be released and no spark produced.

The frictional resistance encountered by the user in forcing such returnmovement of pin 71 is readily discernible (even over and above the usualspring biasing of the trigger toward its undepressed rest position) soas to alert the user to the inverted condition of the lighter, whereuponsuitable precautions can be taken. It ma be thought that pin 71 couldescape from long bore 74 or become jammed when the lighter is invertedafter depression of the trigger from its rest position. Instead, roundedhead 72 of the pin rests on the normally lower surface of fixed abuttingportion 31, and if the trigger is relaxed to its rest position while thelighter is inverted the pin Slides further back into the long bore, byreason of such surface contact of its head, as the angle of depressionreturns to Zero. Of course, when the lighter iS returned to an uprightposition, the pin slides back into the longer bore in the triggeritself, regardless of the trigger position.

Thus, lighter 10' of this invention can be used in inverted position aswell as conventional lighter 10, such as to light a pipe as shown inFIG. 1. If the holder of the lighter does not wish to light the lighterby depressing the trigger before inverting the lighter but prefers toinvert it first, he can do so. However, a careless user who mightundertake to light the lighter in an inverted position without havingchecked its orientation Would be cautioned from doing so and thereby beprotected from being burned or having his clothing set afire by thelighter of this invention.

FIGS. 9, 10, and 11 show second lighter 10" from the side, partlysectioned, in several different positions: upright, with the trigger inits undepressed rest position; inverted, with the trigger in itsundepressed rest position, and (fragmentarily) inverted, with thetrigger depressed from its normal rest position. In this secondembodiment of the invention, ball 81 replaces pin 71 as the movablecomponent of the safety means, susceptible to gravity-induced change inposition between upright and inverted orientation of the lighter.

In the upright position of lighter 10" the ball rests entirely withinbore 74, which is only a bit deeper than necessary to contain it. Thetop surface of trigger 11" is curved convexly upward (in FIG. 9) and hasdetent 84 (v. also FIG. 11, especially) extending therefrom alongsidethe bore and spaced closely adjacent a complementary concave surface offixed body portion 31", which has opposing bore 73 therein and detent 83separated therefrom by the intervening concave surface. Bore 73 hasstepped ramp 75 therein and is so shallow that, with the lighter ininverted position and with the trigger in its undepressed rest position,the ball fits only partially into the bore (FIG. 10). The verticalsidewall portion of the step of the ramp is shorter than the ball radiusso that, if the trigger is depressed after the lighter is inverted, theramp will force the ball out of bore 73' and back into bore 74' so thatthe trigger can be depressed to light the lighter. Detents 83 and 84abut one another to limit the depressed position of the trigger (FIG.11) and prevent escape of the ball.

It will be understood that the step of ramp 75 in shallow bore 73provides a greater obstacle to lateral movement than a full ramp would,and the user must employ increased pressure to depress the trigger andforce the ball back into bore 74'. The eflfort required to do this, ascompared with the relatively freer depression of the trigger when thelighter is upright, provides the user with a tactile indication that thelighter is inverted rather than upright. The advantages and benefits arelike those accruing to a user of the first lighter embodiment of thisinvention and require no further comment.

FIGS. 12 and 13 show fragmentarily third lighter of the presentinvention inverted and with trigger 11" thereof undepressed anddepressed, respectively. Fixed body portion 31' with ramp 75 in bore 73therein is the same as employed in the first lighter embodiment of thisinvention. Bore 74" in the trigger has its longitudinal axis offsetinwardly, however, from that of bore 73 and has ramp 85 therein parallelto ramp 75 of bore 73. It will be seen that, when the lighter isinverted, the ball rolls under the influence of gravity to a restposition between the two ramps, whereupon it provides a wedging actionwhen the user attempts to depress the trigger. Thus, the trigger cannotbe depressed to the position shown in FIG. 13 unless well started beforethe lighter is inverted or unless the user relieves the pressure on thetrigger to free the ball sufiiciently that a tap from above (on thebottom of the lighter, which is inverted) will cause the ball to occupybore 74 momentarily. Then, if the trigger is depressed soon enough tocapture the ball in that deeper bore before it falls between the tworamps again, the trigger can be depressed sufficiently to light thelighter. As a corollary of such conscious effort, the user is aware thatthe lighter is inverted instead of upright.

It is possible, of course, that few persons, such as some pipe smokers,might wish to defeat the safety feature, whether over a given period orpermanently. Such convertibility to a non-safety lighter form isprovided in lighter 10'a of FIGS. 14 and 15. This lighter modificationis an alternative form of lighter 10' of the first embodiment of thisinvention, in which sliding pin 71 was used. The top portion of trigger11a is relieved laterally and is provided with matching slot 92therethrough to both sides, principally perpendicular to the front faceof the trigger and at their frontrnost extent intersecting bore 74therein. Fitted snugly but movably in the slot is lockout pin 91, whichis headed on both ends and is thereby adapted to be moved manually inthe slot between a position (as shown) obstructing bore 74 and analternative unobstructing position (broken lines, FIG. 14). It will beapparent that when lockout pin 91 obstructs bore 74 it retains pin 71captive therein and thereby defeats the safety feature otherwisepresented thereby. The slot has a downturned end to assist in retainingthe lockout pin when in the alternative position, in which the safetymeans functions as described above for lighter 10. Of course, similarlockout means could be provided in the embodiments of lighters in whichthe pin is replaced by a ball, as in FIGS. 9 to 13, if desired. Thelockout means may incorporate friction washers or similar means toassist in retaining whichever setting the user desires, whether safetyor nonsafety, without hindering manual resetting thereof.

Advantages and benefits of this invention have been mentioned in and areotherwise apparent from the foregoing description as supplemented by thediagrams, which are exemplary only rather than limitative. Somemodifications have been included, but others may be made, as by adding,combining, or subdividing parts, while retaining all or some of theadvantages and benefits of the invention, which itself is defined in thefollowing claims.

The claimed invention:

1. In a hand-operated lighter having a depressible trigger for actuatingfuel valve means or spark means, the improvement comprising a movablesafety device susceptible of gravity-induced change in location uponchange in orientation of the lighter between upright and invertedpositions, the trigger being so depressible when the lighter is in anyorientation, including inverted position, the safety device beingoperatively interconnected with the trigger to move therewith upondepression thereof and occupying a location wherein it is free offrictional engagement with immovable parts of the lighter and therebyenabling the trigger to be freely depressed when the lighter is in anupright position, and occupying a location in frictional engagement withan immovable part of the lighter and thereby hindering depression of thetrigger sutficiently to require a greater force to depress the triggerwhen the lighter is in an inverted position.

2. Hand-operated lighter according to claim 1, including means carriedon the trigger and movable relative thereto from a position ofdisengagement with the safety device to a position of engagementtherewith to prevent the safety device from coming into such frictionalengagement with an immovable part of the lighter and thereby disablingthe safety device from hindering depression of the trigger when thelighter is in inverted position.

3. Hand-operated lighter according to claim 1 wherein the depressibleend of the trigger abuts part of the body, and both that end of thetrigger and that abutting part of the body are bored internally, theirrespective bores aligning with one another when the trigger is in anundepressed position and misaligning when the trigger is in a depressedposition, and wherein the safety device comprises a member fittingmovably within either bore and having a first rest position such that itis located within the trigger bore when the lighter is upright andhaving a second rest position such that it is located partially withineach bore when the trigger is in an undepressed position and the lighteris inverted, the bore in the abutting part of the body having a rampalong the side toward which the safety device is pressed upon depressionof the trigger in the inverted position, depression of the trigger beingunhindered when the lighter is upright and being hindered by suchengagement of the safety device with both the trigger bore and the dampof the body bore when in that second rest position.

4. Hand-operated lighter according to claim 3 wherein the safety deviceis positioned by gravity.

5. In a hand-operated lighter having a depressible valveactuatingtrigger pivotably supported at one end, the improvement comprising asafety device normally located within a hollow in the trigger when thelighter is in an upright position wherein the trigger is readilydepressible by exertion of a given force thereon, the safety devicebeing further adapted to protrude partially from the hollow in thetrigger into engagement with an abutting fixed ramp portion of thelighter when in an inverted position such that the trigger is then lessreadily depressible and can be depressed only by exerting thereon asufliciently greater force to slide the safety device up the ramp andfurther back into the hollow in the trigger.

6. Hand-operated lighter according to claim 5 wherein the pivotablysupported end of the trigger is located below the depressible end whenthe lighter is upright.

7. Hand-operated lighter according to claim 6 wherein the safety devicecomprises an elongated pinlike member.

8. Hand-operated lighter according to claim 6 wherein the safety devicecomprises a single spherical member.

9. In a portable lighter having a body and a depressible trigger mountedrelative thereto for actuating means from the class consisting of sparkmeans and fuel valve means, the improvement comprising a safety devicefor permitting relatively free depression of the trigger to actuate suchmeans when the lighter is in other than an inverted position andpermitting relatively hindered or less free depression of the trigger toactuate such means when the lighter is in an inverted position,comprising an object operatively interconnected to the trigger to movetherewith upon depression thereof and susceptible of gravity-inducedchange in location upon change in orientation of the lighter betweenupright and inverted positions when the trigger is undepressed, thelocation occupied by the object when the lighter is in inverted positionwith the trigger undepressed involving frictional contact between theobject and a fixed part of the body and thereby imposing an increasedrequirement of force to effect depression of the trigger, and thelocation of the object when the lighter is in an upright positioneffectively freeing the trigger from such contact and thereby from suchincreased force requirement to effect depression of the trigger, andincluding means for constraining the path of movement of the objectbetween the locations in which the trigger is hindered and free,respectively.

10. Hand-operated lighter according to claim 9 wherein the movableobject of the safety device is movable along its constrained path fromthe free trigger location to the hindered trigger location by invertingthe lighter.

11. Hand-operated lighter according to claim 9 wherein the movableobject of the safety device is movable 8 along its constrained path fromthe hindered trigger location to the free trigger location by turningthe lighter upright.

12. Hand-operated lighter according to claim 9 wherein the hindering ofthe actuating trigger is occasioned when the object occupiessimultaneously portions of its path of constraint established byabutting fixed parts of the trigger and the body, respectively.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,588,479 3/1952 Burchett et al.43 l88X 2,672,038 3/1954 Burchett 431-88 EDWARD G. FAVORS, PrimaryExaminer

